Buttonhole-sewing machine



( L) 7 Sheets-Shet---1,

P. F. RAYMOND, ZdQ' BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE. No. 1,588,353. PatentedAug. 17,1897.

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(No Model.)

P F RAYMOND, 2d BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

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BUT-TONHOLE SEWING MACHINE. Nd. 588,353. I Patented Aug. 17,1897.

' IM/ITPJ ESEES. I i N |N NTDR 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

F. P; RAYMOND, 2d. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 588,353. Patented Aug. 17,1897.

mil i WlThl E55 E5 Q. 7m; 9maw Vf (No Model.) -7 Sheets-Sheet 5. F.-F.RAYMOND, 2d. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 17,1897.

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' P. P. RAYMOND, 2d.

- BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

N0.-5 88,35 3. Patented Aug. 17, 1897..

wlaalssss- (No Model.) Y I 7 Sheets'-Sh eet 7.

. P. F. vRAYMOND, 2d. BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 588.353. Patented Aug. 17, 1897,

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT @rric's.

FREEBORN lit RAYMOND, 2b, or NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUT TONHOLE-SEWlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,353, dated August1'7, 1897.

Application filed July 18, 1892. $e1'ialN0. 440,399. (No model.)

. 2d, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the countyof Middlesex, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Buttonhole- Stitchihg Machines, of which thefollowing is? a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, inexplaining its nature.

The invention relates to an organized buttonhole-stitching mechanism inwhich the buttonhole-clamps and clamp plateor plates are moved fromstitching position to an anvil and cutter which are actuated While theclamps are in operative relation thereto, and which clamps and clampplate or plates are then returned to their normal positioniand heldstationary, while the stitching devices are caused to travel aroundatheedge of the buttonhole.

organization which shall permit both the rapid slitting of the buttonhole and the rapid stitching of its edges by devices whichcooperatebut are independently actuated.

The invention is in some respects an imand House patents of 1863 and theReece patents, Nos. 240,546 and 349,359..

The House and House patents describe a buttonhole sewing machine inwhich the stitching devices are movable about the edges of thestat-ionarily-held buttonhole-slit, but there is no description of ameans for slitting the buttonhole.

The Reece patents describe a machine which follows the lines of theHouse and House description in that the material is held stationary andthe stitching devices moved about the buttonhole-slit and which has inaddition an anvil and.butt-onhole-cutter which are mounted upon theframe carrying the stitchingdevices and which are moved to thestationarily-held fabric, actuated to cut the buttonhole slit therein,and then moved from it'to bring the stitching devices into operativerelation to the said slit.

The same mechanism which is used for intermittingly moving the stitchingdevices around the buttonhole-slit is also employed in .to stitch thebuttonhole.

The mechanism in the Reece machine for giving movements to the cutterand anvil and the, stitching devicescomprises a cam-disk having twocam-grooves, one of which revolves around a stationary cam-pin and bothof which are connected with the frame carrying the cutting and stitchingdevices. There is also in thejReece machine no provision for return-.ing the stitchingdevices after the stitching of the. buttonhole totheir original position excepting that derived from the continuedmovement of the frame-feed cams after the stitchinghas been completed.

My invention differs from the Reece in that the'stitching devices andtheir supportingi framework are not moved except to stitch the Theobject of the invention is to provide'an edge of the buttonhole, in thatthe buttonhole-slitting devices are not carried by the frame whichcarries the stitching devices, in

that no additional movement of the frame or frame-feeding devices afterthe stitching of the buttonhole is needed for restoring thestitch-forming devices to their original position, and in that theclamp-plate and clamp are bya continuous and rapid movement fed to andfrom stationary buttonhole-cutting mechanism by devices entirelyindependent of the stitching devices or frame-feeding mechanism andbefore they are started.

One of the practical advantages of my invent-ion as compared with theHouse and House machine is that the automatic buttonhole-cutting devicesare organized into the machine without requiring but a little more timefor their operation, and one of the advantages of my invention ascompared with the Reece is that by disassociating thebuttonhole-slitting mechanism from.the stitching devices and notrequiring a further operation of the feeding-cams to restore thestitching devices to their normal position at the end of the stitchingof the buttonhole a very considerable saving in the time of theoperations of slitting and stitching is accomplished, and by Saiddisassociation and by giving the frame carrying the stitching de-.

vices a shorter throw a stiffer, stronger, and better construction isobtained.

The invention relates to various other features of organization andconstruction, which will hereinafter be fully described.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of amachine having the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view inhorizontal section substantially u pen a line with the cutter-lever andin plan of parts below said line. Fig. 3 is a view principally inelevation to illustrate the starting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view of oneof the feed-cams to which reference is hereinafter made. Fig. 5 is aview showing the mechanism for returning the stitching devices at theend of the stitching operation and of the movement of the frame to theirnormal position. Fig. 6 is a view in section showing the clutch mechanism of the stitching devices to which reference is hereinafter made.Fig. '7 is a plan view of the bed of the machine without any of theparts mounted on it. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the bed, showing certainparts mounted on it, some of these parts being broken away in horizontalsection. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the cam-disk for feeding the stitchingmechanism.

A is the bed of the machine. It is stationary. It has at its forward endguideways a for directing the movement of a slide-plate A. Thisslide-plate carries the clamps A A which preferably are mounted upon theseparable clamp plates A A the clampplates being pivoted at a (trespectively, to the slide-plate A. The stationary bed A has at itscenter and rear end a slideway I) for the frame B. This frame has theupperarin B and the lower arm B These arms carry the stitching devices BB and the frame 13, and the stitching devices are like these describedin the Reece patents above referred to (with the exception hereinafternoted) and shown in the Reece machine and need not further be describedhere.

The frame B is provided with its traveling or feed movement by the cams1; (see Fig. 4) and b in the cam-disk B The cam-disk is mounted upon thecentral bearing-post b of the frame and moves with the frame, the cam Z)engaging the stationary cam-pin Z), which is attached or secured to thecross-bar b of the stationary bed. The cam 11 is conneeted with theframe B through the lever I), as described in said Reece patents, andthe traveling frame is adapted to be swung on its pivot b" by said cam,as therein specified, to give the stitching mechanism a proper lateralmovement about the eye of a buttonhole. There is, however, thisdistinction between the cam-disk and its cams and the cam-disk and camsof the Reece patents: The cam-disk B is directly connected with the mainshaftC of the stitching-machine, to be operated byit only when it isstarted, and not with an eccentric upon a constantly-rotating hub of thedriving member of a clutch.

The cam-disk also makes its full revolution during the stitchingoperation, usingno part of its time for the cutting operation.Consequently the cam-disk has fewer feeding-teeth and the cam Z) shortertravel, its travel being limited to move the framework and stitchingdevices only the length ofa buttonhole andnot about twice the length ofa buttonhole, as is necessary when it is employed for moving thebuttonhole-cutting mechanism into and out of position and the stitchingdevices back and to their normal position. The cam b is also modifiedslightly to meet the decreased throw of the frame and stitchingdevices-and the conditions incidental thereto.

The cam-disk is intermittently rotated by the eccentric c on the mainshaft 0 of the stitching mechanism and the lever c, which acts toreciprocate the cam-disk clutch in the same manner as described in saidReece patents, the differencein the clutch mechanism being that thedevices which serve to throw it into and out ot'operation,not beingneeded,are not employed, the clutch being actuated by its lever 0 onlyduring the rotation of the shaft 0 and having no connection with theoperation of the buttonhole-cutting devices.

The clamps A A are depressed upon the work and clamp-plates by themovement of the starting-lever D. This lever and the mechanismconnectingit with the clamps and the mechanism for automaticallyreleasing the clamps at the end of the stitching of the buttonhole arelike those described in the Reece patent No. 34:9,359 and need notfurther be described here, excepting that the clampclosing arms,depressed by the lever D, are pivoted to the slide-plate A instead of tothe stationary bed of the machine, as in the said Reece patent.

The buttonhole-cutter E is not attached to the frame 13 to move with it,but is pivoted at e to stationary ears 6, risingfrom the stationary bedA, and is provided with a movement toward and from the stationary anvilE by means of the cam E upon the independent and non-traveling shaft F.This shaft is supported, preferably, by stationary supports rising fromthe bed A, and ithas atone end the driven member F of a clutch fastenedto it and the driving member F which is loose upon it and which isadapted to engage the member F at the will of the operator and impart toit one revolution.

The plate A carrying the clamps and clampplates is moved from a positionin operative relation with the stitching devices to a position over theanvil and below the cutter E by means of the draw-cam A on the shaft F,and the draw-bar a and the slide-plate, clamps, and clamp-plates arereturned after the drawing action of the cam A and the operation of thecutter to their original position by the springs o The clam p-plates A Aare spread after the buttonhole-slit has been cut, but before they havebeen returned to their stitchin g position,by the tapering spreader G,which IIO is carried at the end of the push-bar g andv which is actuatedby the cam G on the shaft F to be moved or pushed between the two platesA A immediately before the cam A releases the slide A to permit of itsquick return. A spring g serves to return the spreader G to its originalposition after the operation of the cam G.

From what has been stated it will be seen that the first operation ofthe machine is to close. by the movement of the lever D the clamps uponthe fabric held by the clampplates. This movement instantly sets inoperation the shaft F, the lever D being connected with the clutch, aswill hereinafter be specified. The clamps, clamp-plates, and slide A areinstantly moved to cutting position, the cutter actuated, the clampsspread, and the clamped fabric, clamp-plate, and slide returned to theirstitching positionthat is, to a stationary position in relation to thestitching devices, which are then caused to travel about the edge of thebuttonhole-slitin which position they remain at restfduring thissubsequent stitching of the buttonhole. The instant they resume thisposition the buttonhole-stitching devices are set in operation and thecam-disk B for the first time operated and the forward end or ends ofthe frame B caused to travel about the edge of the buttonhole-slit, theshaft F making but one revolution and then automatically stopping, andat the end of its revolution communicating, through mechanism to bedescribed, to the stitching-machine shaftclutch a starting movement.

The shaft F is started by withdrawing the latch H from thespring-actuated engaging lug h. This permits the lug to be engaged by aprojection on the driving member and a revolution of the shaft Fto bemade. The

lug or tooth is disengaged at the end of one revolution by the return ofthe latch H to original or normal position. The latch projects inwardfrom the upper end of the bar h. (See Fig. 3.) The slide-bar has at itsforward end the shoulder or tooth 7L and the upward extension orfulcrum-point h The trip or starting lever D has a long pawl 71 pivotedat 72 held in contactwith the stop 7? by a spring h". When this trip orlever D is moved from the position represented in Fig. 3 to thatrepresented by dotted outlines in the same figure, its first action isto throw downward the clamps A A Its continued movement brings the endof the pawl into engagement with the tooth h and causes the slide it tobe moved sufficiently to disengage the latch H from the lug h. Furthermovement of the slide 71 causes the pawl h to be lifted from the tooth72 by the under surface of the pawl riding upon the f ulcrunrpoint If,the center or pivot point 7L5 of the pawl lowering as the lever is movedsufficiently to cause the end of the pawl ,to be lifted or pried fromthe tooth, and this permits the spring h to move the slide backwardregardless of the position of the starting-pawl 7L and of the positionof the lever D, as upon the lifting of the end of the pawl k the tooth bwill be immediately moved backward under it, so that it cannot be againengaged by the pawl until the trip-lever has been returned to its normalposition.

The clutch of the shaft of the sewing or stitching mechanism is likethat of Patent No. 349,359. It-has the driving member and the drivenmember 0 and the lever-arm K and engaging dog K are caused to beactuated by the lever K instead of by the controlling-bar, as describedin said patent. This lever K is pivoted at k and has the short arm 70,which extends into the path of the starting-cam k on the shaft F. Thelong arm 15 of the lever extends under the, adj usting-screw k of thestarting-lever K, and when the shaft F has about completed its rotationthe cam k moves the lever K causing it to act through the lever K todisengage the dog and permit the engagement of the two clutch members 0O and thus start the stitchingmachine shaft, the dog being held removedfrom the members of the clutch sufficiently to permit the-end of the adjusting-screw k to pass upon the raised surface k of thecontrolling-lever K It will be understood, of course, that upon theengagement of the member 0 C of the sewing mechanism 0 the frame 13 isimmediately moved, and the screw is thus brought overthe raised section70 of the controllinglever, and-the dog is thus maintained disen- 'gagedfrom the clutch so long as the frame moves forward and backward until ithas sewed the last stitch of the buttonhole, when the screw rides 0E theraised section and the dog is brought into a position between the twomembers of the clutch and the further engagement of the two stopped. I

The clamps A A are released automatically at the stopping of thestitching mechanism as described in the said Patent No. 349,359. As themovement of the frame B and of the stitching devices longitudinallystops at the completion of the stitching of the last side of thebuttonhole, and as the feedcams also then stop, it becomes necessary toreturn the stitch-forming mechanism namely, the needle-bars andloopersto their original position by other means than the cam employedin rotating them while stitching about the eye.

The mechanism turning the stitching devices in sewing about the eye issimilar to that described in the said Patent No. 349,359. It comprisesthe pinions L L on the upper and lower needle-bars, respectively, thesecthe rest Z, the operative run or section Z, and the rest Zwhichterminates in the radial section Z connecting the end of the rest Zwith the end of the rest Z. This radial section Z of the cam comes intoline with the cam-pin Z of one of the sector-levers at the instant thebuttonhole-stitching mechanism has sewed the last stitch and its shafthas come to rest, and the spring 1", connected with the sectorlever toact upon it, then serves to move the sector-levers backward to theiroriginal position and the cam-pin from the end of the rest Z to thebeginning of the rest Z and at the same time rotatingthe needles andlooping mechanism backward to their original position.

The cams B L are formed in a common disk, one in the upper surface andthe other in the lower surface thereof, and it is supported upon a pivotor stud attached to the moving frame. It may be turned in any desiredway. That which is described and illustrated is like a similar mechanismdescribed in the said Patent No. 349,359, it being understood that thedisk has by these means an in termittent rotation given it.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The fabric having beenplaced between the clamps and clamp-plates, the operator moves backwardthe starting-lever D, and by this action closes the clamp upon thefabric and against the clamp-plates and permits the engagement of thetwo members and the clutch of the shaft F, whereby it is set inoperation and caused to make one revolution and stop. The movement ofthis shaft causes the clamps, clamp-plates, and clamp-plate slide to bedrawn from their stitching position to a position which brings thematerial between the clamps underneath the buttonhole-cutter and overthe anvil. The cutter is imm ediatelyactuated to cut thebuttonhole-slit, the clamps are spread to open the buttonhole-slit, andthe clamped material, clamps, clamp-plates, and slide are instantlyreturned to their stitching position, where they remain stationaryduring the subsequent stitching of the buttonhole. Thebuttonholc-stitching devices and mechanism are immediately andautomatically set in operation and are moved with an intermittent feedmovement about the edge of the buttonhole-slit around the eye andbackward upon the other side of the slit, the stitching devices rotatingduring the movement around the eye, when the sewing mechanism andfeed-frame automatically come to rest and the needles and loopers areautomatically released and returned.

It will be seen that the movement of the clamps, clam p-plates, &c.,from the stitching position to the cutter is a continuous and quick one,and that the return is also continuous and quick, and that the wholemovement pared with the step-by-step feeding movement of the frame B institching.

It will also be seen that the frame B and stitching devices are movedonly during the stitching of the buttonhole and only for the length ofsuch buttonhole.

I would say that the stitching devices, so far as the needle and looperand their actuating device are concerned, may be like those of the Globemachine, and described in Reed and Dahl patents, Nos. 450,844 and450,950.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a buttonhole-stitchingmachine, the combination with the stationary bed of the machine providedwith two slideways, of a traveling frame movable back and forth on oneof said slideways, a buttonhole-stitching mechanism carried by saidtraveling frame, means for causing said frame to travel back and forthto carry the said stitching mechanism about a buttonhole-slit, aclamping work-holding device movable in the other of said slideways, abuttonhole-cutting mechanism which is stationary relative to the saidtraveling frame, means for moving the said clamping work-holding deviceto the cutter of the said buttonhole-cutting mechanism when a buttonholeis to be cut and for returning said clamping work-holding device to itsnormal position, where it will remain stationary until the nextbuttonhole is to be cut, and connecting mechanism, whereby when themachine is started the clamping work-holding device will first be movedto the buttonhole-cutter and then instantly returned to its initialposition and remain stationary while the bnttonhole-stitching mechanismwill be caused to travel about a buttonhole-slit to stitch thebuttonhole, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a buttonhole-stitching machine of the bed-plate ofthe machine, a frame carrying the stitching devices at its forward endor ends, movable upon such bed, a cam-disk having a step-by-steprotation imparted to it, cams in said disk connected with said frame andconstructed to move the same only the length of the buttonhole to bestitched,and to carry the stitching mechanism about the eye of thebuttonhole, means for rotating the stitching devices a half-revolutionduring the stitching of the eye, and for holding them against rotationduring the stitching of the sides of the buttonhole, including the cam Lin the cam-disk, constructed to permit the immediate movement of themechanism for rotating the stitching devices at the end of the stitchingof the last side of the buttonhole, and a spring connected .with saidmechanism to actuate it at the end of the stitching operation to turnback the stitching devices to their original position, substantially asand for the purposes described.

3. In a buttonhole-stitching machine, the

combination With a stationary bed, of workclamps supported by said bed,a traveling frame mounted on said bed, stitch-forming devices carried bysaid traveling frame, the traveling-frame-actuating cams also carried bysaid traveling frame, the disk B provided with the cam-groove Lconnected with said stitch-forming devices and having the rests Z and Zthe operative section Z and the releasesection Z and means for returningsaid stitchforming devices to their initial positions, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a buttonhole-stitching machine, the combination with thestationary bed of the machine, the traveling frame mounted thereto moveit only the length of the buttonhole to be stitched, a cam constructed,as specified, to rotate the stitch-formin g devices in one directiononly, means for returning said stitchforming devices to their initialposition, a clutch to engage the said cam-disk, and anintermediateclutch-actuating lever operated by said eccentric, andmembers of a clutch upon the said shaft O,'all constructed and arranged,as specified; whereby upon the engagement of these members of the clutchthe said shaft is actuated and the stitch-forming devices and thecam-disk, or frame-moving mechanism, simultaneously started, as and forthe purposes described.

5. In a buttonhole-stitching machine, the combination with thestationary bed of the machine provided with two slideways, of atraveling frame movable back and forth on one of said slideways, abuttonhole-stitching mechanism carried by said traveling frame, meansfor causing said frame to travel back and forth to carry the saidstitching mechanism about a buttonhole-slit, a clamping workholdingdevice movable in the other of said slideways, a buttonhole-cuttin gdevice mou nted on said stationary bed of the machine, start and stopmotion mechanism for said shaft and devices on'said shaft connected withthe clamping work-holding device and buttonhole-cutting mechanism andserving to move the said work-holding device to the cutting mechanismand to actuate the said cutting mechanism to form a slit in the materialheld by the clamp and to separate the members of the clamps, and meansfor returning the said clamping work-holding device to stitchingposition after a buttonhole has been cut.

6. In a buttonhole-stitching machine, the combination with thestationary bed of the machine provided with two slideways, of atraveling frame movable back and forth on one of said slideways,buttonhole-stitchforming devices carried by said traveling -the saidshaft F, for moving the said workholding device to the buttonhole-cutterand for operating said cutter, and means for returning the saidwork-holding device to its initial or stitching position; whereby whenthe machine is started the work-holding device will be moved to thebuttonhole-cutter,

a buttonhole-slit out, said work-holding device be instantly returned tostitching position, the said stitch-forming devices then be set inoperation and caused totravel about the stationary buttonhole-slit forthepurpose of working a buttonhole and the machine then be automaticallystopped, substantially as described.

7. In a buttonhole-stitching machine, the combination with thestationary bed of the machine provided with two slideways, of atraveling frame movable back and forth on one of said slideways, abuttonhole-stitching mechanism carried by said traveling frame, meansfor causing the said frame to travel back and forth to carry the saidstitching mechanism about a buttonhole-slit, a clamping work-holdingdevice movable in the other of said slideways, a buttonhole-cuttingmechanism which is stationary relative to the said traveling frame,means for moving the said clamping work-holding device to the cutter ofsaid cutting mechanism when abuttonhole is to be cut and for returningsaid clamping work-holding device to its initial position, the saidbuttonhole-stitching mechanism and the said buttonhole-cuttingmechanismbeing independent of each other, and the latter beingstationary relative to the former, and means for successively operatingthe said mechanisms so that when the said cutting mechanism is inoperation the said stitching mechanism will be at rest, and vice versa;whereby when the machine is set in operation the work will be quicklymoved to the buttonhole-cutter, the buttonhole cut, the

Work instantly'returned to its normal stationary position and the saidstitch-forming mechanism then be set in operation and be caused totravel about the buttonhole-slit to work the buttonhole.

FREEBORN F. RAYMOND, 2D. \Vitnesses:

J. M. DOLAN, .M. LYNCH.

